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John F. Kennedy/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby. Tim and Moby walk to a large memorial grave. A flame burns on the grave. TIM: This is President Kennedy's grave. See the eternal flame? It was lit in 1963, and it's been burning ever since. MOBY: Beep? Moby looks at Tim conspiratorially. TIM: Look, I'm only gonna say this once: This place means a lot to an awful lot of people. Please don't mess with it. Moby looks apologetic. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, can you tell me about President John F. Kennedy? Thanks, Henry. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. He served from 1961 to 1963. An image shows John F. Kennedy. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Right, his presidency ended quickly because he was killed by an assassin. But, there's a lot more to Kennedy's story than that. He was born in 1917, to a wealthy family in Massachusetts. Jack, as he was known, was the second of nine children, and some of his siblings also had successful political careers. An image shows the Kennedy family. TIM: His younger brother, Robert, served as the Attorney General of the United States, and a Senator from New York State. And his baby brother, Edward, represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate for 46 years. An image shows John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy. TIM: Jack graduated from Harvard and enlisted in the Navy when World War II broke out. An image shows John wearing his graduation cap. He is next to the Harvard emblem. Then he is wearing a Navy cap next to the United States Navy insignia. TIM: He commanded a small patrol boat in the Pacific. In August 1943, the ship was wrecked by a Japanese destroyer. Kennedy led the survivors on a six-kilometer swim to dry land, and then risked his life to make sure everyone was rescued. An animation shows the patrol boat being hit by a bomb and slowly sinking. Then Kennedy and his men swim toward land. TIM: For his heroism, he received the Navy and Marine Corps medal. An image shows the medal. TIM: This honor helped him immensely when he entered politics in 1946. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, Kennedy was elected to the House of Representatives that year, and to the Senate in 1952. In 1956, he even published a best-selling book. Called Profiles in Courage, it told the stories of eight U.S. Senators who'd committed acts of political bravery. It won him the Pulitzer Prize, a major literary award. An image shows John Kennedy on the cover of ''PIC, Youth in Politics magazine. Then an image of Profiles in Courage appears along with an image of the Pulitzer medal.'' TIM: These accomplishments, plus his good looks and charm, propelled him to national fame. When the Democratic Party nominated him for President in 1960, voters also fell for his beautiful wife, Jacqueline, and their adorable kids. An image shows John and Jacqueline Kennedy with their children. MOBY: Beep? TIM: During the 1960 election, Kennedy's opponent was Richard Nixon, who had just served eight years as vice president. An image shows Richard Nixon with the Republican elephant behind him. TIM: Kennedy was only 43 years old, and lots of people questioned whether he had the wisdom and experience to be a successful president. But he soothed their fears in a series of televised debates, watched by close to 80 million Americans. Viewers were impressed by the calm, confident Kennedy. An image shows a family viewing the Kennedy and Nixon debate on their television. TIM: In the end, he squeaked out a narrow victory. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, to many voters, he represented a new generation of leaders, bursting with energy, and ready to take America in a bold new direction. An image shows Kennedy being sworn in as president. TIM: His policies became known as the New Frontier. He began a program called the Peace Corps, which sent volunteers to help people in developing nations. He ramped up the space program, promising the United States would put a man on the moon within 10 years. Side by side images show a Peace Corps volunteer working with a farmer, and a rocket launching. TIM: And with the civil rights movement in full swing, he spoke out against racial discrimination, and met with Martin Luther King at the White House. An image shows Kennedy with Martin Luther King, Jr. in front of the White House. MOBY: Beep. TIM: No, not everything went well for Kennedy. His administration came at the height of the Cold War, the struggle for world dominance between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. An animation shows Kennedy standing at a podium between Uncle Sam and the Soviet bear staring angrily at each other. TIM: In 1961, the United States tried to help overthrow Cuba's Soviet-backed government, but the mission was badly botched. A map shows the United States and highlights Cuba with the Cuban flag. TIM: Known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, it was a disaster for the United States, and for Kennedy personally. An image shows Kennedy slumped over his desk. TIM: But the young president learned as he went along. In 1962, the Soviet Union began building missile bases in Cuba. From there, they could launch a nuclear attack on the United States before it had a chance to respond. The situation was unacceptable, and it seemed like the world was on the brink of nuclear war. An animation shows missile bases being built in Cuba as seen through a pair of binoculars. Then a radiation biohazard symbol appears between the binocular lenses. TIM: But instead of bombing or invading Cuba, Kennedy used the Navy to blockade the island, preventing Soviet ships from delivering supplies. The Soviets agreed to remove the missile bases, and the Cuban Missile Crisis passed without any violence whatsoever. An animation shows U.S. Navy ships blocking a Soviet ship. TIM: It was a major victory for Kennedy. MOBY: Beep? TIM: That's right, President Kennedy was killed in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. He was riding in an open-top car, when he was shot in the head and neck by a sniper. An image shows Kennedy and Jacqueline in an open-top car. The screen fades to black. TIM: A communist armed forced officer man named Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested a police officers shooting, later he was charged with murder of John F. Kennedy, and then he too was assassinated just a few days later, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took over as the 36th president. An image shows Lyndon B. Johnson swearing in as president. An image shows Lee Harvey Oswald and police officers in an big building speaking conference room, with reporters and microphones. '' '''MOBY:' Beep? TIM: It was one of the truly tragic moments in American history. And many people still have questions about how and why it happened. But John F. Kennedy will always be remembered as one of the most inspirational figures in the history of the United States. An image shows Kennedy. TIM: Now come on, Moby, we've got a lot of Washington left to see. Moby nods and the two of them walk off. The eternal flame continues to burn. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts